Future forms
Introduction
This article deals with the future tense, which in my opinion is one of the most difficult aspects of English for the non-native speaker. In fact it is a little misleading to speak of the future tense, because English does not have one. At least, it doesn't have one in the sense of having a future tense form, as in French for example: je joue (I play) - je jouerai (I will play).
Instead, the user of English has to choose between several possible ways of referring to the future, with subtle differences in meaning. Look at the following examples:
Explanations
1. I'm playing (I'm playing golf with my boss after work next Tuesday.)
This form of the future (the present continuous) is used to talk about an arrangement that has been made in discussion with another person.
Further examples:
- I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow afternoon.
- I'm going to the dentist next week.
From the explanation above it, follows that the statement: (I feel tired today). I'm staying at home and reading my book this evening is incorrect since"reading a book" is not an arrangement that has been made with another person.
2. I'm going to play (I'm going to play golf at least once a week this year - I want to get fit).
a. The future form with "going to" has several uses. The most common use is seen in the example sentence, where it expresses a plan or intention for the future. In this case, it would be perfectly possible to say: (I feel tired today). I'm going to stay at home and read my book this evening.
Further examples:
- I'm going to buy a new car next week.
- She's going to try and stop smoking after Christmas.
b. "Going to" is also used to express a prediction.
Examples:
- Look at those dark clouds. I think it's going to rain.
- You're going to get very fat if you keep eating so much chocolate!
3. I'll play (I think I'll play golf after work tomorrow.)
a. The form of the future with will has various uses. One of its uses is when there is not a prior intention or arrangement; i.e. when you make a spontaneous reference to the future. For example, someone says: My car's broken down! and you reply No problem, I'll drive you home. Neither I'm going to drive you home nor I'm driving you home nor I drive you home (as some native German speakers might say) sound right.
Further examples:
- Look! You've broken my calculator. - Oh sorry. I'll buy you a new one tomorrow.
- Don't worry about buying me a new calculator. I'm sure I'll be able to borrow one from my brother.
b. The future with "will" is sometimes called the 'pure' future and is often used in a statement containing a time reference.
Examples:
- The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow.
- In the year 2050 the ozone hole will probably be twice its present size.
c. "Will" is also used in sentences with the words "if" or"when" or "unless".
Examples:
- I'll be very disappointed if you can't come.
- I'll tell him when I see him.
- We'll be late unless you hurry up!
4. I shall play (I shall play golf tomorrow - nobody is going to stop me.)
This use of "shall" to talk about a future event implies a determination to do something despite opposition, and is spoken with stress on the word "shall".
5. I might play (I might play golf tomorrow - it depends on the weather.)
"Might" is used to express the possibility (but not the probability) that something will happen in the future.
Further examples:
- I might lend you the money, but then again, I might not!
- She's been late to work so often that she might lose her job.
6. I played (If I played golf tomorrow, I'd probably break my back - I'm so unfit!)
The past tense form is used to express the future, as in this case, when the speaker wishes to imply that the future event is unlikely. This grammar form is often called the Conditional 2. Here are more examples:
- What would you do if you won a lot of money?
- I wouldn't tell you, even if you gave me a thousand dollars!
7. I will be playing (At this time next week I'll be playing golf on the first day of my vacation.
This future form (the future continuous is used when the speaker states a time and says what action will be happening at that time.
Further examples:
- Don't call me between 7 and 8.30. I'll be watching the football on TV.
- I like Germany. I hope I will still be living here when I retire.
8. I will have played (At the end of my vacation I will have played enough golf to last all year.)
This is the future perfect tense. It is used when the speaker wants to talk about what will have happened by a certain time.
Further examples:
- John always leaves the house at 8 o'clock, so there's no point calling him at 8.30. He will have left by then.
- We're late! The meeting will have already started by the time we get there.
- By the time I leave school I will have sat through more than 300 English lessons!
9. I will have been playing (By the time I'm 75 I will have been playing golf for half a century.
This construction is called the future perfect continuous. It is quite rare and complicated to explain. Its main use is when the speaker refers to a time in the future and then says how long an activity will have been going on from a time in the past up to that point.
- By the time she's 65 my mother will have been working for more than 50 years. (She got her first job when she was 14!)
- When my grandfather turns 80 next year he will have been living in the same house for more than 70 years.
10. I play (I have a busy schedule next week: onTuesday I arrive in New York, on Wednesday I play golf with the Marketing Manager...
The present simple form is often used for the future events that are set by a timetable or are otherwise outside of the speaker's control.
Further examples:
- I start my new job on Monday.
- Sorry, I won't be able to join you for lunch. The meeting doesn't end until 2.30.
- What time does your plane arrive in New York?
Note: The explanations given here are extremely brief and by no means cover all the ways a speaker can refer to a future event. For a comprehensive analysis of this very complicated aspect of English grammar I can recommend Practical EnglishUsage by M. Swan, Oxford University Press.
@Native English speakers intuitively choose the most appropriate way to express themselves about the future, although few are aware of the 'rules' governing their choice.~ For the non-native speaker, however, this is a major difficulty.
Quizzes
1. As a short test, imagine you are talking with your English colleagues in the office. Someone asks you what you are going to have for lunch. How would you respond?
- I think I'm going to have fish for a change.
- I think I'll have fish for a change.
- I think I'm having fish for a change.
A little later you see a colleague you haven't talked to for a while and suggest having lunch together. What would you say?
- I'm going to have fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
- I'll have fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
- I'm having fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
Just after this you see your boss. What do you tell him?
- I'm going to have lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
- I'll have lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
- I'm having lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
Quiz 1 Answers
Someone asks you what you are going to have for lunch. How would you respond (1)?
- I think I'm going to have fish for a change.
-
I think I'll have fish for a change.
- I think I'm having fish for a change.
The most likely answer is I think I'll have fish for a change , since the speaker is making a spontaneous remark about the future. I think I'm going to have fish for a change is possible, but I think I'm having fish for a change is incorrect since it does not refer to an arrangement.
A little later you see a colleague you haven't talked to for a while and suggest having lunch together. What would you say?
-
I'm going to have fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
- I'll have fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
- I'm having fish for lunch today. Would you like to join me?
The most usual statement here would be I'm going to have fish for lunch today since the "going to" form expresses an intention. The answer I'm having fish for lunch today is also possible but less likely; whereas I'll have fish for lunch today sounds very odd.
Just after this you see your boss. What do you tell him?
- I'm going to have lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
- I'll have lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
-
I'm having lunch with Mike today. I might be back a little late.
The most likely choice is answer I'm having lunch with Mike today since this form (the present continuous) is most often chosen to express an arrangement. The answer I'm going to have lunch with Mike today is OK too, but again the future form with "will" I'll have lunch with Mike today sounds very strange.
2. Now try to supply the most appropriate form of the future in the following sentence. (In some cases there may be more than one possible answer.)
Example: I (start) cooking tonight if you're not home by seven.
Answer: I'll start cooking tonight if you're not home by seven.
1. John (get married) next month.
2. Did you pass your test? - I'm not sure. I (know) tomorrow.
3. I (call) Jane later and ask her to come to my party.
Don't phone her between 6 and 7o'clock. She (have) a bath.
OK! I (ring) her tomorrow morning.
4. My plane (leave) Frankfurt at 10.30 and I (arrive) in new York at midnight.
5. Did you know your smartphone is broken?
Oh, is it? I (have) it repaired tomorrow.
6. Did you know your CD player is broken?
Yes, I (have) it repaired tomorrow.
7. This white bread tastes horrible. - OK. I (buy) brown bread from now on.
8. Anne says she (buy) brown bread from now on.
9. ...you (come) to the dance on Friday? Yes, and I (dance) all night.
10. I (give) drive you to work tomorrow if you like.
Thanks, but Peter (take) me.
11. Oh dear, the batteries in my flashlight are flat. I (buy) some in town tomorrow.
There's no need. I (see) my brother this evening. I'm sure he (lend) you some.
12. I'm really looking forward to my holiday. At this time next week I (lie) on the beach in the sun (read) a good book.
13. I (buy) a new camera when I'm in Japan next week, but I'm not sure yet.
14. I (meet) my mother at the airport tomorrow.
Quiz 2 Answers
1. John is getting married next month.
Marriage is clearly an arrangement and so the present continuous form is used.
2. Did you pass your test? - I'm not sure. I'll know tomorrow.
This is the 'pure' future, with no expression of arrangement or intention.
3. I'm going to call Jane later and ask her to come to my party.
The "going to" form expresses a plan or intention.
Don't phone her between 6 and 7o'clock. She'll be having a bath.
This form is used when we want to indicate that the future event will be of a certain duration
OK! I'll ring her tomorrow morning.
The will form is used here because the reference to the future is spontaneous - i.e.there is no prior intention or arrangement, and the statement is made at the moment of decision.
4. My plane leaves Frankfurt at 10.30 and I arrive in new York at midnight.
The present simple form is used when the future event is determined by a schedule outside of the speaker's control.
5. Did you know your CD player is broken?
Oh, is it? I'll have it repaired tomorrow.
As in 3 above, the will form is used here because the reference to the future is spontaneous - i.e. there is no prior intention or arrangement.
6. Did you know your CD player is broken?
Yes, I'm going to have it repaired tomorrow.
In this case the intention to have the CD player repaired already exists and so the"going to" form is used.
7. This white bread tastes horrible. OK. I'll buy brown bread from now on.
This is another example of the use of will for spontaneous references to the future.
8. Anne says she's going to buy brown bread from now on.
The speaker knows that Anne has already made the intention to buy brown bread, so the going to form is used.
9. Are you coming to the dance on Friday? Yes, and I'm going to dance all night.
The speaker assumes that her friend has arranged with others to come to the dance, and so uses the present continuous form here. Equally possible would be: Are you going to come to the dance on Friday?
The answer uses the going to form to express the speaker's intention.
10. I'll give drive you to work tomorrow if you like.
The speaker has probably made spontaneous offer of help (e.g. on hearing that his friend's car has broken down) and so has used the will form.
Thanks, but Peter is taking me.
The person replying has used the present continuous form because he has already discussed and arranged with Peter the future event.
11. Oh dear, the batteries in my smartphone are flat. I'll buy some in town tomorrow.
It's clear from the exclamation Oh dear! that the speaker has just discovered that the batteries are flat and has made a spontaneous decision to buy some the next day.
There's no need. I'm seeing my brother this evening. I'm sure he'll lend you some.
The person replying has arranged to meet his brother (hence the use of the present continuous) and then uses the 'pure' future will (lend) form.
12. I'm really looking forward to my holiday. At this time next week I will belying on the beach in the sun reading a good book .
The future continuous is used because the speaker wants to emphasize what will be happening at a certain time in the future.
13. I might buy a new camera when I'm in Japan next week, but I'm not sure yet.
Might is used to express possibility. The speaker will possibly buy a camera but this is far from certain.
14. I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow.
The present continuous is used for arrangements. You could say I'm going to meet my mother at the airport tomorrow , but this form gives no indication whether or not you have discussed your intention with your mother. Your arrival at the airport to meet her may be a surprise for your mother!
3. Finally, a simple question. Imagine you are talking with a friend about his daughter and he says: She will sit in her room all day watching Netflix. How should you interpret this observation?
Quiz 3 Answer
This particular use of will is a fairly common way of speaking about habitual actions in the past and present. It is about the future only in that it may be predicted that the behaviour will continue.
Another example: He'll come home late from work and immediately fall asleep on the sofa.
There are more examples of this kind of mismatch between tense and time on the page verbs and tenses.